Ever wonder where Barq's root beer was first bottled? The answer is found on a historic marker located on the right front corner of the Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works building located on Lee Street in Biloxi, Mississippi. Edward C. Barq bottled his root beer in this building from the 1890's-1930's. During the thirties Barq moved his operation to Lemeuse Street located only a few streets away from Lee. Barq's operation was eventually purchased, according to the marker, by The Coca-Cola Company and is currently consumed by every LDS missionary that steps across the threshold of my condo for a dinner appointment each month. When I saw the building I immediately thought of them.

I wonder if the City of Biloxi has ever considered partnering with The Coca-Cola Company to convert the structure into a museum that interprets the bottling process. It could be a smaller satellite version of The World of Coke in Atlanta and would be a fantastic tourist destination for hundreds, perhaps even, thousands of Gulf Coast residents. It would also be a great opportunity for The Coca-Cola Company to exert more influence on the Coast by aiding in revitilizing Biloxi's cultural past post-Katrina. I can totally see it. What about you?